Page-index for books.



Patented Dot; 29, I90I.

J. N. GULVIN.

PAGE INDEX FUR BUOKS.

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asses: 175272271? me Nonms PETERS co,. vrxoToLl'rHo.. wAsmNc-rou, D. c.

i .UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

JAMES N. COLVIN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

PAGE-INUEX `FOR eooKs.l

sPEoTFrCA'rIoN farming part of Letters Patent No. 685,257, dated october a9, 190i.

Application filed Tune 2, 1900. Serial No. 18,811. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES N. CoLvIN, a citi'- zen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Cool; and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Page-Indexes for Books, of which the following is a full, clear, and'exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

The object of my invention is to enable a reader to readily find a given line or lines of any page of a book or bound volu me without the .necessity of marginal indicia for each page. This I accomplish by the means hereinafter fully described, and as particularly pointed out in the claim.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a closed book having my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a front edgev view thereof. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the said book opened. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a detachable index-stri p adapted to be used in conjunction with other features of my invention. Fig. 5 is an end edge view of the same. l

In the drawings, A represents a book the front edge of the closed pages of which is divided with a series of equidistant transverse lines a a, corresponding in number to the maximum number of lines on the pages. In every well-printed bound book the lines of reading matter on the pages thereof will be in the same horizontal plane as the correspondinglynumbered lines on the other pages of the book. Each of the lines a is arranged on the same horizontal plane as some one line of reading matter on the pages of the book, and for every line of reading matter there is a line a on the front edge of the book indicating the same. The inside marginal surface next to the front edge I of each cover ot the book is also preferably provided with a series of short graduations b, which correspond in number to and aline with the lines a on the edge of thebook and are each numbered in numerical order, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 1l, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, and so on, and the figures indicating multiples of live are made prominent in any suitable manner. When so constructed, all that need be done when it is desired to find special matter on a known page and line is to turn to that page and by referring to said number of graduations b on the inside'of the covers corresponding to the number of the line wanted follow the line a leading therefrom, and thus have the eye directed to the line desired instantly and without delay.

If desired, the covers of the book maybe made of such dimensions that their forward edges may project forward beyond the front edge of the closed pages of the book, so that the figures indicating the number of the graduations l) may be plainly seen when the book is closed. This is 'ordinarily not necessary, however, because of the fact that when books are opened the front edges of the pages generally move slightly away from the front edges of the covers thereof, thus enabling the graduation-figures to be printed or otherwise affixed to the margins of the covers in such a position that when the book is closed they will be partially, if not wholly, hidden from view. Fig. 3 of the drawings illustrates the practicability of this last suggestion.

In View of the fact that the utility of a lineindex such as hereinbefore described would be just as great in an old reference-book not having my invention applied thereto as in a new publication embodying the same, I can either have the'lineindex made on thin leather strips of a length corresponding to that of the front edge of the cover and of any width desired and gum or paste the unmarked side of the same, so that they could be conveniently cemented by the purchaser to the inner surfaceof the cover in the position heretofore shown, or I could provide the detachable index-strip which is shown in Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawings. In the latter event I provide the detachable strip B with spring-clips c c, which are slipped over the front edge of the covers of the book and so adjusted as to bring the surface of the strip having the graduations and figures thereon on the inside of said covers and facing the leaves of the book. I have not illustrated the graduations and iigures on the detachable strip shown in Figs. 4 and 5, because they are the same as those illustrated in the other figures of the drawings, to which attention is directed.

While I prefer the use of the grad nations b, I

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ing-matter in said pages, in combination with an adjustable strip adapted to be applied to the front edge of the covers of saidvbook and provided with a vertical series of figures arranged in numerical succession from top to bottom on the inside marginal surface of the covers next the front edges thereof and in transverse alinement with said transverse lines.

JAMES N. COLVIN. Witnesses: y

MARCIA FRIEL, FRANK D. THoMAsoN.- 

